中文摘要：

在回顾全球变化科学产生和发展历史的基础上，针对当前全球变化、全球气候变化、全球环境变化、地球系统科学在概念和内涵上存在混淆的情况，就全球变化等概念的内涵、产生的过程及其联系进行了综述、分析和比较。提出全球变化是指对人类现在和未来生存与发展有重要的直接或潜在影响、由自然因素或人类因素驱动在全球范围内所发生的地球环境的变化，或与全球环境有重要关联的区域环境的变化。气候变化和全球环境变化的研究范畴包含在全球变化之中，但又各有其关注领域和交叉部分；而地球系统科学是解决全球变化问题的科学理念、思维方式和解决方案。

英文摘要：

The research field on the earth environment changes related to human-nature interaction is developing rapidly. Somedifferent concepts are addressed and evolved during the developing course of this research theme. Firstly, the concept of climate change was addressed in the early 20th century, and then, the concepts of global change, global environmental change and earth system science were developed in different fields and re- search groups. In general, these concepts have all focused on this largest issue in the modem society from different angles of review. Also, thy have different background, crossed fields, special research approaches. Based on an a- nalysis of the history of this environmental issue and research activities, the significations of the four concepts are reviewed and compared. Global change research focuses on the earth environmental changes or the regional environ- mental changes that associate with global environment, which are driven by nature or human factors and directly or potentially influence the current or the future human life and development. Generally, global change can be used to i cover and refer all the issues of this area. The research contents of climate change and global environmental change are generally included in global change studies. Climate change and global environmental change have special focuses with each other, and also there are some common parts for the two concepts. Climate change especially focus on the nature factors as a scientific concept, but recently, it is also widely used in thc fields of international argument and climate policy as a public issue. Global environment change is often used in the area of active and passive hu- man factors in the changes, and in some regions and groups, it is also referred to the general changes. Earth system science is an important theory, methods and resolution for the global change studies with a systematic thought.